The Sprout: Canada files suit against the U.S. at WTO

Good afternoon and welcome to the Sprout, where your host hopes everyone is having a wonderful National Bittersweet Chocolate Day.

Here is today’s agriculture news

The Lead

We start with some developing news. The Canadian government has filed a wide-ranging trade challenge against the United States at the World Trade Organization that takes aim at Washington’s use of anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties. The suit, which was filed Dec. 20 and made public Wednesday morning, cites more than 200 examples of trade actions, many of them involving other countries. Reuters has the story.

In Canada

Consumer anger at Tim Hortons is growing after it was reported some owners of the fast-food chain’s franchises had cut back employment benefits to compensate for Ontario’s minimum wage hike. As CBC News reports, Tim Hortons’ Facebook page has been flooded with complaints and comments. Protests are planned at several locations across the province.

The federal government and the Saskatchewan government have invested $7.7 million in 30 crop-related research projects through Saskatchewan’s Agriculture Development Fund, provincial Agriculture Minister Lyle Stewart announced Tuesday. In a release, Stewart said the two governments also are promising $6.25 million in operating funds through the ADF for the Crop Development Centre (CDC) at the University of Saskatchewan over five years. You can find the full release here.

Internationally

The American government’s tax reform has the country’s biggest grain traders worried. As Reuters reports, the new U.S. tax law is poised to drive more control over the nation’s grain supply to farmer-owned co-operatives. That shift has left ethanol producers and privately-run grain handlers worried they could be squeezed out of the competition to buy crops.

Australia’s agriculture minister is headed to India to try to convince New Delhi to drop stiff import tariffs on peas, pulses and wheat. As ABC Rural reports, Australia, like Canada, has found India to be a key market for pulse crops in recent years, with the value of Australian exports of chickpeas reaching AUS$1.14 billion, and lentils AUS$196 million, in 2016-2017.

And a school in England says it will be searching students’ school bags for unhealthy food. BBC News has more.

Here’s a fur-goodstory: The City of Toronto’s Animal Services has been inundated with volunteer applications after the agency said it was in need of people to cuddle cats and rabbits. More than 900 residents have applied.